NonProfit: Online Religious Organizations

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Non-Profit Online Religious Organizations

• By Ratana, Sharma, Talabi, Wu, Zaida

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Goals/Challenges faced by these Organizations

• provide religious information
• distribute theories
• ask for humanity helps
• attract new members/believers
• affirm the truth in all faiths and religious
  paths
• dispel false beliefs about the religion
• counter cult groups

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General Characteristics

• Run by small organizations, not large
  corporations. Can be run by one person (typical)
• Are not very sophisticated technologically/design
  wise
• With the exception of certain portals, tend to
  offer narrowly focused information geared toward
  one particular religion
• Are supported either by ad revenue to pay for
  sites, or donations, or the owners own pocket
• Do not spend much on advertising. Visitors
  usually find their way there through search
  engines or word of mouth.

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Who are they targeting?

• People from all religions
• People from one religion
• Those who are not bounded by a single ideology
• Atheists
• People with diverse spiritual traditions
• Intermarried people who have not made a clear
  religious people (interfaithfamily.com)
• Basically, everyone with a religious curiosity

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Small Informational Sites

• Example - http//pages.prodigy.com/D/V/R/dvar/ -
  Jewish community outreach

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Small Informational Sites

• What do they offer?
• Information about their organization
• Why it was started
• Who the people behind it are
• What the projects they are working on are
• Information and assistance to the people of
  their religion on a particular (usually, narrow)
  topic of interest
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• Contact information

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Small Informational Sites

• Who do they target?
• People of the same religion who are looking for
  information and assistance on their particular
  topic of concern
• How do they attract people?
• Pull method for attraction (the consumer is
  pulling the info)
• These sites do not tend to actively seek out
  people instead, people actively seek out them
• Visitors to such sites are usually people that
  are interested in finding out information on a
  particular topic thus, they actively search for
  sites with such information
• Web rings interrelated sites that are linked
  together on each

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Small Informational Sites

• Recommendations for homegrown informational
  sites
• Capitalize on viewers interest
• Offer personalized e-mails, electronic
  newsletters, etc., with information on the topic
  of interest
• Update visitors with ongoing events related to
  the topic
• Allow visitors to post their views / give advice
  on the topic of interest
• Have links to other sites related to the topic
  of interest also, links to other sites related
  to their common religion
• Start local lectures / community panels related
  to topic
• Provide links that allow viewers to purchase
  books, videos, etc., related to the topic

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Organizations that act as Portals

• Examples
• Draw a broad range of religious and spiritual
  paths
• Promote shared religious values
  (http//www.Interfaith.org)
• Advocate equal rights for sexual minorities
  (http//www.iwgonline.org)
• Value Added Combine resources for the web
• Provide links to
• Other religions, ministries
• Inspirational and spiritual music
• Services consulting, heath, clergy

Recommendations Portals can leverage their
browsing starting point by offering more
services, such as that of stores and customizable
content
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Organizations that act as Portals

• Example www.interfaith.org .. Links to various
  faith pages

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Online Religious Stores

• Features
• One stop shopping for religious books, clothing,
  tapes and other religious paraphernalia.
• Provide some free services and information e.g.
  newsletters and greeting cards.
• Some sites participate in shopping networks eg.
  http//www.gospelcom.net/gcnmall/
• A few stores offer non religious items e.g.
  computers and house wares.
• Some sites offer memberships and personalized
  accounts.
• Religious advertisements provide additional
  revenue.
• Most stores offer specials for religious holidays
  and events.

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Online Religious Stores

• Customers
• Members of the associated religion are the
  primary client base.
• Some stores also target churches and other large
  organizations for large volume sales.
• Most stores offer customers coupons and discounts
  to repeat customers.
• Some stores belong to particular churches,
  mosques etc and cater specifically to their
  members.

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This site is part of a network of specialty
stores
Categorized product listings
Advert provides additional revenue
Display of sample product
Search engine for locating products
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Online Religious Stores

• Suggested improvements.
• Partnerships with high traffic sites eg Yahoo.
• Sale of digital content e.g. downloadable music.
• Group discounts to members of churches, mosques
  etc
• Contributing part of revenues to charitable
  causes and affiliated religions.

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Online Religious Organizations

• General Comments/Recommendations/Revisitations
• Once a visitor is there, lock them in with some
  value added service such as free email, web
  space, etc. increase stickiness
• Some sites were part of web rings. This is an
  excellent way to increase traffic to sites that
  are more on the fringe or ones that are not
  found by search engines